Linkbar

August 31, 2011

Catching up. Been wanting to catch up with everything since I came back this weekend. With both our schedules on the “busy on repeat” button in August and September, catching up is done on the fly. Early morning chats. Late night chats. With a text. Or a note left intentionally in a back pocket.

We pass each other often lately. We catch up. We appreciate the early morning hours when the pups are still snoring and we can talk seriously or giggle like children. I am traveling a lot for work lately, with his blessing and support. He's been so busy rehearsing and playing gigs that he's had very little to notice I was gone. Sort of...

I love that we both feel well enough in our shoes that the investment we are making in our works and creativity, the time apart working in different cities, the long nights playing music, all this is never tough. It makes us sigh and we do miss each other but it's the kind of absence that makes us keep focused and positive.

It's not always rosy, easy peasy and always fun but it is what it is. The best part is that our choices let us combine what we need to do with what we absolutely love to do. We are ok with it until we crave that catching up time. I see a couple of date nights in our near future and if you have any movie recommendations, send them along by the way!

It'd be easy to let good meals be forgotten or to let nutrition be a distant thought. Meals on the go or TV dinners are not something I usually keep around. Not only do I love to cook but there are a few little health issues that have us stay away from made up meals. I love to shop the farmers market too much and stock up more than I should even before I head out of town.

To make sure we get good foods in our bellies in the midst of everything else going on, I like to fix big bowls of pasta bursting with lots of fresh vegetables we just picked at the market. I love adding roasted beets, lots of fresh herbs. My pineapple sage and basil are growing wild so they end up in almost everything we cook. A drizzle of pungent olive oil. I might add a bit of chorizo or leftover shredded roasted chicken depending on what we have that needs to be used.

It's nothing fancy but it's wholesome and packed with everything we need to keep going. Another staple is this soup I posted recently. I think I make it about two to three times a week right now. It is so silky and so easy. Whether we cross paths or have the time to sit down and eat together, a bowl of pasta for lunch and a bowl of soup for dinner have been good sound choices to have ready.

One thing though...we can't park away our sweet tooth. Given the temperatures above the 100s here, I tend to shy away from the oven. The ice cream machine has been churning pretty much non stop. Lots of frozen yogurts, sorbets and other experiments have been going on in the frozen department. It's been fun and interesting to say the least.

One of our latest concoctions and addictions has been Watermelon Shiso Sorbet. I never would have expected to find Shiso at the market but the same vendor who had purslane one week also brought in shiso and I got giddy as a five year-old given a new toy. I've been reading and hearing lots about it and could finally experiment on my own. A new find at the market and I am happy. I am easy that way...!

This sorbet is the perfect ending to a long day. It packs a punch of interesting flavor combining the summer flavor of watermelon and citrus with the minty touch of the shiso. Slightly exotic. Highly refreshing. A few spoonfuls shared at midnight is everything the doctor ordered after a long hard worked day...

Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel and halve the beets. Layer them on a baking sheet and drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 15-20 minutes until the beets are soft and a little brown on the edges. In the meantime, boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and place in large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, add the chopped pepper, the beets and the chopped herbs. Toss and eat right away. This is perfect at room temperature.

In a small saucepan, cook the sugar with the water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the shiso leaves. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
In a blender or food processor, puree the watermelon with the syrup until smooth. Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

41
comments:

You are seriously the best. I am always so inspired by EVERY SINGLE POST. I follow a bazillion food blogs (all of which I love) but your styling and photography is art. Thanks for sharing. You always make me want to get snapping with my camera.

Dear Hélène, you speak from the bottom of my heart (I don't know, if this is right english, I hope you understand what I mean). Since weeks my husband is far away but we are looking forward to our vacation near Perpignan late September.Pasta is soulfood for us and I 'll test your recipe soon when my husband will be back.The Shiso sorbet is extraordinary, guess I couldn't get Shiso here in germany.Thank's for this wonderful post, greeting, Sandy

My husband and I are both very active and passionate about our projects these days as well. I often find myself tossing vegetables from the garden into pasta when I'm exhausted at the end of the day. Your beet pasta looks delicious!

Amazing how you have transformed the humble beet into something fresh and interesting. A must to ty here in Melbourne. Coming into spring this watermelon shiso is perfect for our hot summers. Cant wait to try. :)

Your food invariably looks so natural and effortless and earthy and fresh and nourishing and vibrant. I can't think of enough adjectives to describe how it makes me feel, or maybe there isn't an adjective to describe the feeling. Looking at your photos, reading your text and planning my cookery for the week ahead...well, it almost feels like that Christmas-y feeling... but in the strangest way that makes me relish every season and the different foods that accompany them. I love your blog. It's so beautiful and inspirational - and not only in regards to food. Thanks for sharing it with me, I'm so glad to have found it. It's such a treasure.

Great date movie "Crazy, Stupid Love" Trust me on this one..it's fabulous and my hubby who hasn't joined me at the movies in years loved it too...might mean he'll join me more often :) lovely photos and recipes as always :)

So many interesting flavors here girl! I have never had pineapple sage nor that red shiso (I think) They both sound wonderful & now I will be on the look out for them.Glad to hear you & B do so well apart & then have magical moments when you reunite.The thought of your pups snoring is precious!